


The Strongest Man in the World

by sparkinglovingheart



Series: Loved You Yesterday, Love You Still [8]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Accidents, Age Play, Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Bathing/Washing, Canonical Character Death, Crying, Grief/Mourning, Memories, Non-Sexual Age Play, Other, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Protective Clint Barton, Protective Sam Wilson, Protectiveness, So much angst, Wetting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 20:16:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5839507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkinglovingheart/pseuds/sparkinglovingheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam tells Wanda that Steve wasn't as invincible as she thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Strongest Man in the World

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I know I've taken a break from this series. Personal stuff happened and I kinda lost my muse for it, but lately it's been coming back, so expect a lot more.  
> This doesn't comply with the canon of the rest of the series, its a hypothetical "what if?" about Civil War. Pietro died at the end of AOU here too, hence his absence. Possible spoilers for the comic exist here, and therefore, the movie. So if you really want to know nothing, don't read on. Also, I'm sorry for all the angst. This is short and crappy but I'm posting it anyways, so here we go.

Wanda always knew when something was wrong, and this time she knew that whatever it was had been really, really awful.

Things had been bad ever since everyone started fighting. Clint had tried to explain it to her as best he could-something happened so that Tony and Daddy are fighting and yes, Mommy’s fighting with him too, but they don’t love you any less, and it’s not your fault, and it’ll all work out. 

So she had tried her hardest to believe that, even when they had to run and people were shooting at them and she had to fight back. She tried to believe it would be okay when they had to hide everywhere they went, when she’d seen her family trying to tear each other apart. 

And she didn’t understand any of it. 

But things were quiet now, and she knew that there was going to be any more fighting, at least for the time being. Clint had told her she could see Mommy again soon, and that they were going to move. Everything was going to be okay. 

So she didn’t understand why Sam wouldn’t say anything to her as he drove, why his hands were gripping the steering wheel so tight and he looked like me might cry. Sam never cried.

They stopped at a field. It seemed like they were the only people for miles. Sam unlocked Wanda’s door and picked her up before carrying her into the middle of it. She clung to him tight and looked at their surroundings. It was bright and sunny, and birds were flying across the sky. She waved at them until Sam set her down and knelt so he was at her eye level.

“Why are we here?” she asked him.

“Wanda…” he took both her hands in his, “I have to tell you something. And before I do, I want you to know that none of it is your fault, do you understand? And you never should have been dragged into it the way you were.” 

“Okay,” she said confusedly, before her eyes lit up, “Did we come here to pick flowers?”

“No, sweetie,” he looked into her eyes, “Do you know how your dad was fighting with a lot of people?”

“Yeah. But it’s okay, because he’s the strongest person in the world.” 

“Well…” Sam took a deep breath, “Even strong people get hurt sometimes. During one of those fights, your dad got hurt really badly. Doctors couldn’t help him, and he died.” 

Wanda saw nothing for about two seconds and then she saw red. 

She screamed the same way she had when her brother had gone, every ounce of pain leaving her body through the scarlet energy at her fingertips. She was on the ground sobbing and wishing that someone had torn her heart out and buried it, deep into the ground because that would be better than feeling this. The strongest man in the world, who cuddled her and read her stories, who she baked cookies with that always turned out burned and they’d eat them anyway, who let her win at tag and picked her up so he could spin her around and say that she was the nicest, smartest, most beautiful girl in the world and he loved her so much-he was gone.

The whole world was on fire and it was scorching every inch of her body. 

 

Wanda didn’t know how long it was before the red went away. 

All she knew was that when it was gone Sam was there again, lifting her into his arms and rocking her gently, and whispering something. At first she wasn’t sure what it was and then she stopped screaming and she could hear that it was, “I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” 

Wanda pretended it was her dad. She remembered having nightmares and running into his room, sobbing. She remembered how he’d pick her up and kiss her hair and whisper just like Sam.

_“I’ve got you, I’ve got you, baby. It’s okay, you’re safe.”_

“He can’t be dead!” she sobbed, “He has to be here!”

“I wish he was here too,” she could tell he was crying himself, “I know. But he loved you, Wanda. He loved you so much. He told me to tell you that.” 

“I can’t live without him!”

“Yes, you can. He wanted you to. That’s what he wanted for all of us, because he was such a good person. And he’s in a better place.”

“I don’t want him to be in a better place!” she felt awful saying it because it felt so selfish, but it was true, “I want him to be here!”

“Of course you do. And that’s okay. It’s okay to be sad. You can be as sad or angry as you want. There’s no wrong way to feel. Steve loved you, Wanda,” he held her a little tighter, “You were everything to him. He wanted to make sure that you would be taken care of, no matter what happened.”

“I want him to come back!” she sobbed, “He has to come back! I want him to, he can’t be gone, I’m going to kill myself if he’s gone!”

“Wanda, he wouldn’t have wanted you to hurt yourself, would he? Because it’s not good, and it’ll hurt you. Take deep breaths.”

The heaving sobs eventually stopped, and they turned into soft cries. Wanda couldn’t move, she felt too weak, like every muscle in her body had decided to stop functioning. Sam picked her up and brought her back to the car, strapping her in carefully before he started driving home. 

Wanda just wanted to sleep. She wanted Daddy, Daddy who was Dead and Never Coming Back, Ever, Because He was Dead. 

She needed him to hold her close and let her sleep in his arms. 

The front of her dress was wet, and she knew in the back of her mind what had happened. She also knew that if Daddy was here, he would have fixed it, and he would have told her it was okay. 

“I was supposed to take a nap,” she mumbled, “And he let me watch TV instead. And we had ice cream.” 

“Yeah?” Sam said, “That’s a good memory. Memories are very important when we don’t have someone around us physically anymore.” 

“He’s supposed to be here.”

“I know, honey.” 

“He’s at home. He’ll be there.”

“Shhh. Try to sleep.”

She couldn’t, she was too uncomfortable and she felt sick. By the time they finally pulled into Clint’s driveway, she was drained, a complete mess of half crying and half talking. 

Someone was picking her up and she didn’t know who it was. She heard voices. Sam saying, “She’s not stable.”

“Oh God, I need to get her cleaned up, she’s a mess.” That was Clint.

“Where’s Nat?” 

“Should be here tomorrow.” Bucky. That was Bucky. She liked him a lot. He was Daddy’s best friend and he played games with her and hugged her. Sometimes he called her Rebecca, because his memories got fuzzy and he forgot who people were supposed to be. 

Clint was taking her clothes off of her and then warm water was splashing over her body. Wanda didn’t open her eyes, but she whispered, “My Daddy’s dead. He’s dead. My Daddy’s dead.” 

“Shhh, baby,” Clint kissed her forehead, “Daddy loved you very much.”

Everyone kept saying that. 

“I want him.”

“I know. We’re going to get you in bed right now, okay? I’m going to stay with you.” 

_He’s Dead He’s Dead He’s Dead_

Clint lifted her up and dried her off gently before he got her dressed again and picked her up, “Let’s try and get you to sleep now.” 

“I want to be up.” 

“You’re so tired, baby girl. You’ve gotta lie down,” he set her on the bed and lay next to her, “Do you want Lorna?”

Of course she did, she always did. She cuddled the toy close and let Clint pull her into his arms and kiss the top of her head, “I love you, sweetheart. You’re being so brave.”

“My Daddy is dead.”

“I know, baby. I know.”


End file.
